Ivy Presidents Make More Than You, But Less Than Peers > college rankings, presidents, university spending

Ivy Presidents Make More Than You, But Less Than Peers

by James Yu | November 23, 2008 at 6:30 pm

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently released its annual survey of college presidential pay, and - surprise, surprise - in 2006-7, Ivy League presidents ranked among the nation's top earners. Of the Ancient Eight, Columbia's Lee Bollinger topped the list, receiving a whopping $1,411,894 in pay and benefits, followed by Amy Gutmann (Penn) with $1,088,786; Richard Levin (Yale) with $955,407; Ruth Simmons (Brown) with $775,718; Shirley Tilghman (Princeton) with $742,444; David Skorton (Cornell) with $730,604; and James Wright (Dartmouth) with $569,761. (Derek Bok, who was the interim president at Harvard that year, earned $0.)

Nevertheless, only Bollinger and Gutmann cracked the private school top ten, coming in at fourth and eighth places respectively. (For whatever reason, the Chronicle places private and public school executives in distinct categories; combine the lists together and Bollinger falls to fifth, and Gutmann, to tenth.)

If the highest salaries and benefits aren't going to Ivy presidents, then to whom do they go? Find out (the rather surprising results) after the jump.

Private (2006-7)

1. $2,800,461, David Sargent, Suffolk
2. $2,065,143, E. Gordon Gee, Vanderbilt
3. $1,742,560, Albert Simone, RIT
4. $,1411,894, Lee Bollinger, Columbia
5. $1,326,774, Shirley Jackson, RPI
6. $1,324,874, John Sexton, NYU
7. $1,159,269, Susan Scrimshaw, Simmons
8. $1,088,786, Amy Gutmann, Penn
9. $1,060,772, William Brody, Hopkins
10. $1,040,420, James Wagner, Emory
11. $1,021,537, Constantine Papadakis, Drexel
12. $973,760, Jack Varsalona, Wilmington
13. $955,407, Richard Levin, Yale
14. $942,493, Donna Shalala, Miami
15. $942,463, Robert Zimmer, Chicago

Public (2007-8)

1. $2,451,689, David Roselle, Delaware*
2. $1,346,225, E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State
3. $887,870, Mark Emmert, Washington
4. $797,048, John Casteen, UVA
5. $786,045, Mark Yudof, Texas (system)
6. $760,196, Mary Coleman, Michigan (system)
7. $740,415, M. Roy Wilson, Colorado (Health Sciences Center)
8. $733,421, Robert Bruininks, Minnesota
9. $731,811, J. Bernard Machen, Florida
10. $728,750, Michael Crow, Arizona State

*2006-7

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7 Responses to “Ivy Presidents Make More Than You, But Less Than Peers”

mothershipconnection Says:
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:04 pm
e. gordon gee… highly paid vagabond
Bill Says:
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Seriously? Delaware and Suffolk, wtf?
Shaun Says:
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
It’s sort of an inaccurate number, though, because of how they value benefits.

For example, university presidents are generally provided with a residence. I’d expect that a Manhattan residence, even uptown by Columbia, is valued more highly than a residence on the campus of Dartmouth or Brown or Cornell. Just because real estate there is more expensive. Given that university presidential residences are palaces, that could be a couple of hundred thousand dollars of the ’salary plus benefits.’
More Importantly Says:
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:50 pm
US News released another list of the best overall Universities world-wide. The methodology is even worse than their other ones, but I demand more dick-measuring!
P10 Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Princeton kids make a mindblowing video that will blow your mind all over your face

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgTITpIxxUc
@Shaun Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
So even if the real estate value of Bollinger’s residence distorts his actual salary, how do we explain the huge jump from 900k to 1.4mil? The mansion’s value couldn’t have changed that much in one year, especially with the bubble having just popped and whatnot.
Shaun Says:
November 27th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I was only commenting on the amount, not on the increase.

As far as the bubble bursting–
Although I don’t know when they valued the real estate– it’s only VERY recently that NYC values are starting to drop. If they valued it as of six months or a year ago it probably would show an increase in the value of the property.

Remember, though, that university presidents are managing a huge enterprise. And that a big portion of their job is sales– if they can fund-raise better than someone else in the same position the university benefits from their labor even if they’re paid more than, say, a Nobel-winning physics professor.